OGT News: Cultural differences linked to student learning, test scores
An article in the February 25 edition of the Middletown Journal (link above)said school districts in Butler and Warren counties are adapting teaching methods to reduce the disparity between black and white students in discipline and scholastic achievement standards like the Ohio Graduation Test.
During the 2005-06 school year, black students were twice as likely as white students to be disciplined in the Middletown schools. Also, white students passed the Ohio Graduation Test at a higher rate than black students.
The article goes on to quote educators from nearby Miami University and elsewhere on the importance of understanding black culture in order to teach black students effectively.
While 17 percent of Middletown students are black, only 6 percent of the teaching faculty is black.
This leads to a "disconnect" between the schoolhouse culture and the home culture of black students, educators said.
Another said black youth culture and peer pressure add to the academic problems black students already face.
The district is diversifying a white-directed curriculum and working hard to recruit more black teachers.
Still, some parents think more needs to be done. One parent was quoted as saying the district starts programs, but seldom follows through.
During the 2005-06 school year, black students were twice as likely as white students to be disciplined in the Middletown schools. Also, white students passed the Ohio Graduation Test at a higher rate than black students.
The article goes on to quote educators from nearby Miami University and elsewhere on the importance of understanding black culture in order to teach black students effectively.
While 17 percent of Middletown students are black, only 6 percent of the teaching faculty is black.
This leads to a "disconnect" between the schoolhouse culture and the home culture of black students, educators said.
Another said black youth culture and peer pressure add to the academic problems black students already face.
The district is diversifying a white-directed curriculum and working hard to recruit more black teachers.
Still, some parents think more needs to be done. One parent was quoted as saying the district starts programs, but seldom follows through.
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